Strategic Plan for a Non-Profit Organization Coursework

Strategic Plan for a Non-Profit Organization - Coursework Example Our organization would be a forum for people, facing mental illnesses and disturbance in their lives. On this regard the title set for the organization is â€Å"Foundation of Behavioral Health & Services†, a facilitation center for behavioral health and mental stability. Vision and the Cause of Origin Our mental health organization is going to be a behavioral health treatment institution, an institution which facilitates people with mental sickness, instability, or disturbance becoming barriers to face life deepest challenges or dejections. It would be a complete non-profit based organization that provides training and guidance to the people to meet societal challenges like ignorance, mistreatment or discouragement. This stands out as a vision for the organization, a vision to flourish peoples’ lives and their living situations. Plan for Investment and Fund Raising There are many people who would like to see a behavioral health institution to grow and thrive in the stat es of Indiana, like people in the medical health profession or in the behavioral health services. There are many psychologists, school professors or rehabilitation facilitators who would like to be part of a non-profit mental health institution like ours. These are the ones who can support and raise some funds to develop the organization within the states region. Several counseling schools could also invest on, and for the institution which is just for the people and community, Government would also become part of it to support its special noble cause. Apart from all there are many bureaucrats who can be part of the investment, bringing basal investment which is required to open the doors of the institution and laying the initial foundation. Indiana is one of the largest States in the US having a population of around 6 to 7 million people. Among such huge population there are definitely lots of chances to generate the initial funds and investment required to give a birth to the newe r organization. City of Columbus is a mega city of the states of Indiana, where the plan is to set the headquarters of the organization. The city itself can generate a lot of investment in the start, which would be sufficient enough to lay the foundation of the organization. Hierarchy and New Positions To open a non-profit organization which is devoted to a special cause, there is a must need to bring specialists to serve the cause and vision of the organization. For a non-profit behavioral health institution, we would acquire specialists from psychology, psychotherapy, psychiatry or further detailed subjects like co-counseling, cognition or cognitive psychology. All of such departments would be opened for newer positions, for those who are experienced and those holding the fresh diplomas or degrees. Initially there would be three major departments including psychology, psychiatry, and behavioral counseling where each department would be aligned with 6 major working positions. It wo uld be a decentralized structure, where decisions will flow from top to middle level management and then to the executive staff to complete the task. Apart from operational departments, Accounts and Administration would be further functioning department in the setup, which would be responsible for managing the day to day records of the patients. Board of Directors Top leadership plays a crucial role in the functioning of a non-profit organization or institution. Their decisions are effectual for the entire hierarchy structure of the organization. We as foundation of behavioral health and services rely on bright leadership, visionary and thinkers. The team of board of directors include Mr. Robert De Sousa (a specialist in Expressive Psychiatry), James

Popular Places in Shimla Essay Example for Free

Popular Places in Shimla Essay Dear Sebastian, I had a wonderful time visiting Shimla, the summer hill station of India, which has a number of appealing attractions. It is located in the lower ranges of the Himalayas and is enveloped with oak, deodar, pine and rhododendron forests. Shimla is an old town and has beautiful colonial structures, quaint cottages and charismatic places to go for walks. The town also has delightful means of entertainment, shopping and sports. The highest point in the area is Jakhop Hill which provides a breathtaking view of the entire city. Glen forest a charming place for picnics and the Shimla Summer Hill is a quaint place to go for peaceful and refreshing walks. There is a beautiful water fall by the name of Chadwick Falls within the thick forests while Prospect Hill which is close by, provides for the perfect picnic outing. The most beautiful structure in Shimla is the Institute of Advanced Studies which was previously the official residence of the Viceroy of India during British rule. There are several temples in the area such as Sankat Mochan, Tara Devi temple and the temple of the Tibetan Goddess Drolma. The Himachal Pradesh State Museum houses a rich collection from the entire state. The town is indeed very pleasant and is quite huge for a hill station. The hill station presents the visitor with charming and unique glimpses of the fast vanishing colonial charisma. The Mall, buildings and picnic spots remind one of the time when this town was the summer capital of the British in India. The centre of all activities whether it is commercial or cultural is the Mall which provides a magnificent reminder of the colonial culture. The place is beautiful and is worth the pains for you to visit and experience the same joy that I experienced. You need to carry light woollens as the temperature is quite low even during summers. If you wish to go for a trekking expedition you can carry your camp kits and clothing that can sustain the rough and hectic routine. Best wishes John Works Cited Popular Places in Shimla, http://shimla. com/Places/index. htm, Accessed on 2

Effectiveness of Soap and Shampoo in Hard Water

Effectiveness of Soap and Shampoo in Hard Water Literature Review According to Soap and Detergent Association of Canada [SDAP] (n.d.), soap is an effective cleansing agent, but its effectiveness reduced when used in hard water which has contaminations like calcium, magnesium, iron and manganese. These mineral salts will react with soap to form insoluble salt known as scum or soap film. For detergent, it is effective to cleanse in hard water and soft water due to it has more surfactants (SPAD, n.d.). For shampoo, it is still work in hard water and soft water. It is less effectively as detergent, but its effectiveness is stronger than soap. The shampoo lessens the ability of shampoo to later in hard water. To increase the effectiveness of soap and shampoo in hard water , the lime softening ,Zeolite Base Exchange softening process, distillation reverse-osmosis softening, and electrolysis are introduced (Mountain Empire Community College, n.d.). For the lime softening, the addition of lime until pH 10 to 10.5 in order to change magnesium and calcium change into calcium carbonate and magnesium hydroxide. (Mountain Empire Community College, n.d.). The addition of lime and carbon dioxide to produce water and calcium carbonate, which uses in next step. The lime reacts with calcium bicarbonate will form water and calcium carbonate that forms white precipitate out of the solution. Magnesium bicarbonate react with lime will form calcium carbonate, magnesium carbonate and water. The magnesium carbonate reacts with excess of lime to form calcium carbonate and magnesium hydroxide which can be precipitate out from water. The high concentration of calcium carbonate and lime which increase the pH of water will corrode the steel pipes. The recarbonation can lower the pH of water, but it can react with calcium carbonate and drawback to calcium bicarbonate. The addition of acids like sulfuric acid and hydrochloric acid can be reduced the pH of water. Zeolite Base Exchange softening process can be known as ion exchange softening. The raw water passes through a filter that contains resin granules to exchange the ions that cause hardness like magnesium and calcium to sodium. For this, it does not need flash mixer, flocculation basin and sedimentation basin for lime softening. The calcium, magnesium and other metals are replaced by sodium ions which cause problem for those who cannot consume too much salt. When the zeolite bed becomes saturated with calcium, magnesium and other metals, it can be regenerated by washing with brine solution which can cause disposal problem. For the reverse-osmosis softening, the water is pulled into a semi permeable membrane (Mountain Empire Community College, n.d.). The calcium and magnesium and other metals cannot pass through it and capture at the side of semi permeable membrane (Mountain Empire Community College, n.d.). The morphology of membrane has lower wall thickness and a larger size of pore resulted in the higher yields (Li, 2011). The process efficiency increases due to the increasing both feed flow rate and temperature increases the permeate flux simultaneously (Li, 2011). The higher flow rates also achieved heat losses by conduction, which decreases the thermal efficiency (Li, 2011). This efficiency also reduces when the salt concentration in the feed was achieved (Li, 2011). The influence of magnesium, calcium, stain and other metals on the process efficiency was considered (Li, 2011). Electrodialysis is the water passes between two plates with positive and negative electrical charge which the positive charge terminal attracts non-metal and negative terminal attracts metals. Introduction Soap, shampoo and detergent are important in life to cleanse our body and clothes by killed disease and dirts. Soap is made up of saturated fat from animals’ oil or vegetable salt. Detergent is included from synthetic ingredients. Shampoo is made up of soap or detergent’s compounds. The surfactants are important for cleaning compound and reduce the surface tension of water or solid to increase the wetting ability of water when it used in low concentration (Allan Campbell, n.d.).There are 4 types of surfactant which are anionic, cationic, amphoteric, and nonionic (Wolf et al., n.d.). The anionic hydrophilic are carboxylates, sulphates, sulphonates and phosphates which are negative charge that need alkaline or basic materials to neutralize them (Wolf et al., n.d.). The cationic surfactants are some form of amine product which is positive charge and need acid to neutralise it (Wolf et al., n.d.).The amphoterics surfactants have negative and positive charges which can reac t with acid and alkaline (Wolf et al., n.d.). Nonionics have no charged components, but it connected to water at ether oxygen of a polyethylene glycol link (Wolf et al., n.d.). The hydrophilic at end of surfactant is strongly attracted or dissolved in water because it forms hydrogen bond and electrostatic force with water (Wolf et al., n.d.). The force of attraction between hydrophobic and water is slight and dissolved in organic substances because it forms dispersion force which it do not have freely moving ions (Wolf et al., n.d.). In order to balance for the lost of entropy, the water molecules force the hydrophobic molecule to cluster together and occupy minimum of space (Bhairi, 2007). The repulsion and attraction between hydrophobic, hydrophilic and water caused hydrophilic moving toward the water and hydrophobic is squeezed away from water (Wolf et al., n.d.). This phenomenon is known as hydrophobic effect and hydrophobic tails are called hydrophobic interactions (Bhairi, 200 7).In this experiment, we will determine the effectiveness of shampoo, soap and detergent in different of medium. References Allan Campbell. (n.d.). Surfactants: Surface active agents. Retrieved from http://www.chemistry.co.nz/surfactants.htm Wolf, R., Davidovici, B., Israel, R., Parish, L.C., Philadelphia (n.d.). Soaps, detergents and shampoos. Retrieved from http://www.google.com/url?sa=trct=jq=esrc=ssource=webcd=9cad=rjaved=0CHYQFjAIurl=http://www.iacdworld.org/101/soaps.pdfei=PYsJU9CGCOWQigevkIHoAwusg=AFQjCNGouNpt5nGf8eMaIYatn21bMwPRtAsig2=S4PJOSnIqxaeL9VoyTlnawbvm=bv.61725948,d.aGc Bhairi, S. (2007). Detergent: A guide to the properties and uses of detergents in biology and biochemistry. Retrieved from http://www.google.com/url?sa=trct=jq=esrc=ssource=webcd=9cad=rjaved=0CHYQFjAIurl=http://www.iacdworld.org/101/soaps.pdfei=PYsJU9CGCOWQigevkIHoAwusg=AFQjCNGouNpt5nGf8eMaIYatn21bMwPRtAsig2=S4PJOSnIqxaeL9VoyTlnawbvm=bv.61725948,d.aGc Soap and Detergent Association of Canada [SPAD] (n.d.). Soap and detergent. Retrieved from http://www.healthycleaning101.org/english/SDAC_soaps.html Mountain Empire Community College (n.d.). Softening. Retrieved from http://water.me.vccs.edu/courses/ENV115/lesson9.htm Li, J. (2011). Computer-Aided Design,Modeling and Simulation of a New Solar Still Design. Modeling Simulation in Engineering, 2011(1-5). doi:10.1155/2011/903721

Exile And Pain In Three Elegiac Poems Essay -- essays research papers

There is a great similarity between the three elegiac poems, The Wanderer, The Wife of Lament, and The Seafarer. This similarity is the theme of exile. Exile means separation, or banishment from ones native country, region, or home. During the Anglo Saxon period, exile caused a great amount of pain and grief. The theme is shown to have put great sadness into literature of this time period. The majority of the world's literature from the past contains the theme of exile. The Wife of Lament is another perfect example of literature with exile, and was written by an unknown author. The most striking example of exile in this poem can be seen in the passage when she says, "A song I sing of sorrow unceasing, the tale of my trouble, the weight of my woe, woe of the present, and woe of the past, woe never-ending of exile, and grief, but never since girlhood greater then now." The woman's husband left her in a life of exile, after he left. She is constantly looking for him, and finds a life that is quite similar to being locked away in prison. She is locked up in a cave under a tree. Her joy comes from thinking that her husband is as miserable as her. In the first passage from the poem, The Wanderer, it speaks of exile by saying, "To the wanderer, weary of exile cometh Gods pity, compassionate love, though woefully toiling on wintry seas with churning oar in the icy wave, homeless and helpless he fled from fate." It can be easily seen...

Mrs. Walters

Throughout my stay my mom was consistently dirty, and the bathroom fixtures were rusty. Additionally, I had to request fresh towels each evening of my stay. To make matters worse, the casino was extremely loud and the music did not stop until 3 A. M. I complained to the Front Desk Manager, Rail Rodriguez, and requested another room but was told there were no other rooms available. No one from the hotel addressed my concerns and I was told repeatedly that housekeeping had been alerted to my complaints. Despite my repeated complaints, my room was never properly cleaned and was never furnished with fresh towels.Because of the casino noise, I was unable to sleep comfortably for two nights. Hence, my time spent In Puerco Rice was nerve-wracking. The cost of a room with a king sized bed and an ocean view, at the time of my booking, was $190 per night and I stayed for 3 nights. In Dalton, a resort charge of 20% was added to my bill. As this accommodation was prepaid through expelled. Com, I was told that I could not request a refund at the hotel. Considering that I made several complaints that were documented and showed patience In walling for the situations to be Improved, I am writing to request that I be refunded the cost of my accommodation.The customer service for this branch needs to be Improved. The Front Desk Manager should be more sensitive to the needs of your guests. Additionally, housekeeping routines should be consistent. It Is extremely distressing for a traveler to experience such poor service. With this In mind, I think It only reasonable for your company to refund the cost for my stay at you San Juan hotel. Sincerely, Mrs.. Walters By [email  protected] Com San Juan, Puerco Rice, 00785 I am a frequent traveler but this is the first time I have stayed in your San Juan hotel. Two nights. Hence, my time spent in Puerco Rice was nerve-wracking.The cost of a per night and I stayed for 3 nights. In addition, a resort charge of was added to my bill. As thi s accommodation was prepaid through expedited. Com, I was told that I that were documented and showed patience in waiting for the situations to be improved, I am writing to request that I be refunded the cost of my accommodation. The customer service for this branch needs to be improved. The Front Desk Manager routines should be consistent. It is extremely distressing for a traveler to experience such poor service. With this in mind, I think it only reasonable for your company to

Bomb Threat and Explosion Investigation

In addition, other law enforcement agencies may have specific information value. The Intelligence Service, Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP), Police Intelligence Group (PIG) and National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) maintains files on individuals who make threats against political leaders.The Bureau of Customs (BOC) may provide information of imported goods; the Bureau of Immigration and Deportation (BID) can provide information on individuals entering or leaving the country; the Firearms and Explosive Division, Civil Security Group, Philippine National Police (FED, CSG, PNP) maintains records on firearms and explosives; the Bureau of Corrections (BUCOR) maintains records on fugitives; the Philippine Postal Corporation (PHILPOST) may assist in matters related to the mails; the National Anti-Kidnapping Task Force (NAKTAF) may, have files of information and intelligence because they have primary jurisdiction in kidnap-for-ransom cases. On the local level, the local pol ice authorities frequently maintain individual photo or â€Å"mug† files, alias files, business indexes, modus operandi (MO) files, victimization records and crime patterns. In addition, court records, probation and parole files, and other municipal records such as utilities, may prove valuable. Records of businesses, such as the telephone, electric and water companies, may also be helpful.Surveillance and stakeouts are important components of kidnap-for-ransom investigations. These activities may require various forms of electronic surveillance, including wiretapping, eavesdropping, automobile locator systems, videotaping and photography. Such efforts may require assistance from other agencies. The investigator should be familiar, not only with the use of such equipment, but also with the laws surrounding their application. The investigator must know when a court order is necessary for the use of electronic surveillance. In no case should an investigator use extralegal means to secure information. CHAPTER 7 BOMB THREAT AND EXPLOSION INVESTIGATION INTRODUCTIONThe use of explosives, by certain criminals and criminal organizations, has increased since the mid – 1980’s. Statistics also show that homes, vehicles and businesses were the primary targets of bombings and, in eight out of ten incidents, the motive was vandalism and revenge. Bombs are often made out common household items regularly found in the kitchen, garage or under the sink. The pipe bomb, the easiest bomb to construct, is often packed with screws and nails which act as projectiles, similar to hand grenades. These are materials that the bomber relies on, in part, to help conceal their identity. Because they are usually home-made, they are limited in their design only by the imagination of the bomber.When searching for a bomb, the investigator should simply look for anything that appears unusual. The bomb technician decides what is and is not a bomb. The bombing crime scene must be linked to the bomber and, if found intact, the bombs themselves can sometimes reveal the identity of the bomber. Bombs can be constructed to look like almost anything and can be placed or delivered in a variety of ways. The chance of locating a bomb that looks like the stereotypical bomb is almost non-existent. INVESTIGATING THE BOMB THREAT Bomb threats are delivered in a variety of ways. Most are telephoned in to the target. Occasionally, these calls are made through a third party. Sometimes, a threat is communicated through in writing or via a recording.There are two (2) general explanations as to why the bombers communicate a bomb threat: 1. The caller has definite knowledge or believes that an explosive or incendiary bomb has been or will be placed, and that he or she wants to minimize personal injury or property damage. The caller may be the person who placed the device or someone else who has become aware of such information. 2. The caller wants to create an atmosphere of a nxiety and panic that will, in turn, results in disruption of normal activities at the facility where the device is supposedly placed. Whatever the reason, there will certainly be a reaction to it. However, through proper planning, the wide variety of uncontrollable reactions can be minimized.The bomb threat caller is the best source of information about a bomb. When bomb threat is called in, the following steps should be implemented: 1. Keep the caller on the line as long as possible. 2. Ask him or her to repeat the message and record every word spoken by the person. 3. Ask the caller about the location of the bomb and the time of detonation of the device. 4. Inform the caller that the building is occupied and the detonation of a bomb could kill or injure innocent people. 5. Pay particular attention to background noise such as motor running, music playing or any other noise. This may give a clue as to the location of the caller. 6.Listen closely to he voice (male or female), voice quality (calm or excited), accent and speech impediments. 7. Interview the person who received the call for the preceding information. RESPONDING TO A BOMB THREAT In response to a bomb threat, the following reminders must be strictly observed by the first responders: 1. Refrain from broadcasting while at the location. Radio transmissions might trigger the explosive device. 2. Anyone involved in the search must not touch any suspected items. Under any circumstances, if a suspicious object is located, it should not be touched or disturbed. 3. Maintain a safe distance from the explosive device. 4. Call the Explosive Ordinance Disposal Team (EODT) to handle the explosive device. SAFETY PRECAUTIONSIn a raid or search situation in which explosive devices are expected to be encountered, investigations should be accompanied by an explosives expert. This person can be used to inform other police officers of what type of device is at hand and how best to proceed safely with the raid. Other pr ecautions include the following: 1. Only one officer at a time should approach the suspected booby trap. 2. When trip wires are located, both ends of the wire should be checked. 3. Wires that appear to be electric should not be cut. 4. No containers should be opened without thorough examination. ELEMENTS OF BOMB INCIDENT PLANNING To counter bomb incidents, a physical security plan and bomb incident plan should be made.The elements of these plans are as follows: 1. Control 1) Who will be in charge of the incident? 2) Where will the control center be located? 3) How will critical decisions be made? 4) Who will man the control center? 5) What primary and alternate communication system will be employed during the incident? 2. Initiation What procedures will be followed upon receipt of a bomb threat or notice that a device has been found? 3. Evacuation If evacuation is ordered, what procedure will be followed? 4. Search 1) What will be searched? 2) What search technique will be employed? 3) Who will search? 5. Damage Control 1) What damage control measures will be taken? ) Who will take the damage control measure? 6. Detonation 1) What procedure will be followed if a bomb detonates without warning? BOMB – SEARCHING TECHNIQUES A two-person search item is recommended when looking for bombs. When the search team enters the room, they should first move to various parts of the room and stand quietly, with their eyes closed, and listen for clockwork device. Often, a clockwork device can easily be detected without the use of specialized equipment. Even if no clockwork mechanism can be detected, the search team is now aware of the background noise level within the room itself. Background noise is always disturbing during a building search.If a ticking sound is heard but cannot be located, one might become unnerved. The ticking sound might come from an unbalanced air conditioner fan, several floors away, or from a dripping sink down the hall. Sound can transfer throu gh air conditioning ducts, along water pipes and through walls. One of the more difficult buildings to search is one that has steam of hot water heat. This type of building will constantly thump, crack, chatter and tick because of the movement of the steam of hot water through the pipes and the expansion and contraction of the pipes. The room should be divided into two virtually equal parts. An imaginary line is then drawn between two objects in the room.The first searching height will usually cover items in the room up to hip height. The searchers then position themselves on opposite sides of the room and begin searching their way around the room, working toward each other. During the search, all items resting on the floor and positioned around or on the wall area are inspected. Although many minor variations are possible in searching a room, the following are the summary of the basic searching steps: 1. Divide the area and select a search height. 2. Start from the bottom and work yourself up. 3. Start back-to-back and work toward each other. 4. Go around the walls and proceed toward the center of the room.

The Four Seasons in Spanish

The Four Seasons in Spanish Most of the Spanish-speaking world speaks of four seasons of the year (estaciones del aà ±o), just as in English: el invierno - winterla primavera - springel verano - summer (Another word for summer, el està ­o, has mostly literary use.)el otoà ±o - autumn or fall As in English, seasons are deemed to begin and end in a formal sense on the years longest and shortest days. For example, summer begins around June 21 in the Northern Hemisphere but around Dec. 21 in the Southern Hemisphere. But in a popular sense summer can also be thought of as including the hottest months, typically June, July, and August in the Northern Hemisphere but December, January, and February in the Southern Hemisphere. In much of the tropics, however, just two seasons are recognized locally: la estacià ³n lluviosa - rainy season or wet season, which can also be called inviernola estacià ³n seca - dry season, which can also be called verano When To Use the Definite Article With Seasons The definite article (el or la) is almost always used with the names of the seasons. In many cases, it is used where it isnt in English: La primavera es la à ©poca del aà ±o en que se manifiestan ms evidentemente los procesos del nacimiento y el crecimiento. (Spring is the time of the year in which the processes of birth and growth are most evident.)El otoà ±o me parece abrumadoramente triste. (Autumn seems overwhelmingly sad to me.)El verano se acerca. (Summer is getting near.)No tengo algo para hacer durante el invierno. (I dont have anything to do during winter.) The same rule applies in the plural form: Los veranos de la ciudad nos traen grandes conciertos. (Summers in the city bring us great concerts.)Me encantan los colores brillantes de los otoà ±os de Nueva Inglaterra. (I love the brilliant colors of New England autumns.)No me gustan los inviernos. (I dont like winters.) Determiners such as este (this) and un (one) can substitute for the definite article. The names of the four seasons are typically used with definite articles in Spanish.Spanish speakers in the tropics often refer to two seasons, the rainy and dry seasons.It is common to use de season to speak of the seasons in adjective form. When You Dont Need the Definite Article The definite article can be omitted (but doesnt have to be) after forms of the verb ser and the prepositions en and de: En verano debemos cuidar el pelo con productos diseà ±ados para esta estacià ³n. (In summer we should take care of our hair with products designed for this season.)Los colores de primavera son muy llamativos y bonitos. (Spring colors are very intense and pretty.)Ya era otoà ±o en Parà ­s. (It was already autumn in Paris.) Etymology of the Seasons Names The main names of the four seasons in Spanish all come from Latin: Invierno comes from hibernum, which is also the source for hibernate.Primavera is related to primera (first) and ver (to see), because it is the time of year when it is possible to first see new life.Verano comes from veranum, which in Latin could refer to either spring or summer.Otoà ±o comes from autumnus, the source of the English autumn. Adjectival Forms Most of the time, the equivalent of adjectives such as wintry and summery can be translated  by combining the name of the season with de to create a phrase such as de invierno and de verano. There are also separate adjectival forms that are sometimes used: invernal (wintry), primavernal (springlike), veraniego (summery), and otoà ±al (autumnal). Verano also has a verb form, veranear, which means to spend the summer away from home. Sample Sentences Referring to Seasons Cada primavera, las ms de 200 especies de plantas con flores que hay en el parque crean una brillante exhibicià ³n. (Every spring, the 200-plus species of flowered plants in the park create a brilliant display.)El otoà ±o es un buen momento para visitar Mà ©xico. (Fall is a good time for visiting Mexico.)La estacià ³n lluviosa dura en el interior del paà ­s desde mayo hasta octubre. (The rainy season  lasts in the countrys interior from May until October.) ¿Cunto costar esquiar en Chile este invierno? (How much will it cost to ski in Chile this winter?)Los dà ­as de verano son largos. (Summer days are long.)El riesgo de incendios forestales de la estacià ³n seca supera este aà ±o. (The risk of forest fires in the dry season will increase this year.)Era un verano involidable. (It was an unforgettable summer.)El otoà ±o en Japà ³n es el clima ms agradable del aà ±o. (Autumn in Japan has the most pleasant weather of the year.)

Civil Rights and Affirmative Action essays

Civil Rights and Affirmative Action essays Think of this, a man is ignored and shut out at work because everyone thinks he got his job because of his color. The problem is, he was more qualified than every other person, black or white, that applied for the job, and he is treated like he is not qualified. This whole situation should be avoided. Our affirmative action policies in America need to be changed. The ways that people look at each other is different in the workplace because everyone wonders if they or a co-worker has gotten their job due to affirmative action. Minorities think that affirmative action is used to help past wrongs, but whites see it as a form of reverse discrimination. People say that unqualified minorities get jobs from more qualified whites, and that is causing more qualified people to take lower-paying jobs. Since the beginning of the use of affirmative action, America has become a racially tense and a strained place to live in, since whites and minorities fail to agree on the effectiveness of this pr actice. Affirmative Action is defined by Webster's New World College Dictionary as " a policy or program for correcting the effects of discrimination in the employment or education of members of certain groups." Affirmative Action was designed to help eliminate past & present discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. This was implemented because of the discrimination that minorities received from the whites of America (Kivel 9). The actual phrase "affirmative action" was first used in President Lyndon Johnson's 1965 Executive Order 11246, which requires federal contractors to "take affirmative action to ensure that applicants are employed, and that employees are treated during employment, without regard to their race, creed, color, or national origin," (Lewis 15). In 1967, Johnson expanded the Executive Order to include affirmative action requirements to benefit women (Peters 43). Originally, these civil rights programs wer...

Achievements Towards Wawasan 2020 So Far Economics Essay

Achievements Towards Wawasan 2020 So Far Economics Essay The implementation of such a great idea was and is still thought to be impossible by many Malaysians. The skepticism of many was understandable, but, as the saying goes, â€Å"Rome was not built in one day†. The initial efforts needed to bring the Wawasan 2020 vision to life had already been started since the early nineties. Many if the challenges set by Tun  Dr.  Mahathir have seen light in various forms, starting with some of the main challenges, being â€Å"Establishing a united Malaysian nation made up of one Bangsa Malaysia† and â€Å"Establishing a matured liberal and tolerant society† One Malaysia (1Malaysia) This particular goal is being implemented through the 1Malaysia programme, which is mostly being used as a catalyst for the Wawasan 2020 idea. The 1Malaysia programme was designed by Malaysian Prime Minister  Najib Tun Razak  on 16 September 2010, calling for the cabinet, governmental agencies, and civil servants to more strongly emphasize on ethnic harmony, national unity, and efficient governance. An official logo and slogan has been introduced along with the commencement of 1Malaysia concept. The logo is the symbol of ‘1’ which includes the national  flag and the word Malaysia. The Malaysian government has spent RM 38 million to promote the 1Malaysia concept in 2010 (Joseph Sipalan, April 2011). http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4b/1Malaysia.svg/100px-1Malaysia.svg.png The 1Malaysia Logo Moreover, the slogans for the 1Malaysia concept have been changing each year. The slogan for the beginning of the promotion campaign for the program, in 2009, was: † Rakyat Didahulukan, Pencapaian Diutamakan  (People First, Performance Now)† In 2010, it had been changed to: â€Å"Menjana Transformasi  (Generating Transformation)† In 2011, the slogan was: â€Å"Transformasi Berjaya, Rakyat Sejahtera  (Transformation Successful, People Prosperous)† For 2012, the slogan is: à ¢â‚¬Å"Janji Ditepati  (Promises Fulfilled)† Many of the other challenges stated by Dr.  Mahathir in his Wawasan 2020 concept have been implemented through the 1Malaysia initiative. For example, the 1Clinic programme was implemented under the 1Malaysia initiative and goes in line with one of the challenges set by Dr. Mahathir, being, â€Å"Establishing a fully caring society†. 1Malaysia Clinics have been launched in several areas across Malaysia and provide basic medical services for illnesses and injuries such as fever, cough, colds, wounds and cuts, diabetes, and hypertension. Malaysia citizens are charged RM1 for treatment and medication. Non-citizens are charged RM15. There currently are 119 1Malaysia Clinics in Malaysia so far, and the Malaysian Ministry of Health is planning to increase this number to 175 by the end of 2012. (Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai, The Star, September 2012) Malaysian Economics One of the important points in the Wawasan 2020 project is the 7% per annum growth over the 30-year period. If the targeted growth is reached within the planned timeframe, the Malaysian GDP or gross domestic product would increase from RM115 billion in 1990 to RM920 billion by 2020 (â€Å"The Way Forward†, Prime Minister’s Office, November 2008), in increase nearly by eight. Alongside, the population is estimated to have a slow increase to around 32 Million at an average of 1.9 percent per annum during the period. This wished-for increase in output and the slower expected growth of the population will result in the per capita income steadily rising from RM 6,180 to RM 26,100 by 2020- ranking Malaysia among one of the high income nations.

Paper 3--The Persuasive Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

3--The Persuasive - Research Paper Example The champions of vegetarianism are so convinced of the benefits of vegetarianism that some of them even advocate that it should be made compulsory. However, although its practitioners put forward many arguments in favor of vegetarianism, none of these are strong or conclusive enough to warrant such an extreme stand. The two major arguments advocated in favor of vegetarianism center round the health benefits of avoiding meat and cruelty to animals. Both these arguments are refutable and open to debate. The primary health-centered argument advanced by vegetarians is that a vegetable based diet has major health benefits, when compared to an animal based diet. It can readily be conceded that the phytochemicals and antioxidants found primarily in fruits and vegetables help the body combat heart disease and cancer. The high fiber content of vegetables and fruits further aid in digestion and protect against disease. However, it must also be conceded that a vegetarian diet is deficient in pr otein, essential amino-acids, calcium, iron, zinc and vitamin B-12. Studies published in 1988 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition â€Å"concluded that elderly people also should be especially cautious about adopting vegetarian diets† (Health Response Ability Systems). ... Price Foundation). Soy is to be consumed in small quantities and cannot be treated as a generous substitute for animal protein. The second health-centered argument in favor of vegetarianism is that the consumption of animal-based products leads to several diseases, particularly cancer, atherosclerosis, obesity and diabetes. This is attributed to the dietary cholesterol and saturated fats found in animal products. However, it is relevant to note that these diseases for the most part are fairly recent, twentieth-century phenomena, while mankind has been consuming animal products from primitive times. This strongly suggests that extraneous variables, such as food processing, methods of cooking, indulgence in tobacco, alcohol and caffeine, consumption of trans-fatty acids (which are found in margarine and vegetable shortening), and the excessive intake of sugar and carbohydrates may be the actual culprits, in combination with lifestyle factors, including lack of physical exercise, stress and pollution. (Byrnes). It is processed, ‘junk food’ which should be banned and not meat eating. After all, a plate of French fries is as healthy as a hamburger! Thirdly, the advocates of vegetarianism hold that eating animal-based products is hazardous to health as the administration of growth hormones and antibiotics to animal fodder and the contamination of fish by mercury lead to the ingestion of toxins by humans. Inadequate cooking of meat poses the risk of food poisoning. This argument can be countered by the fact that the consumption of genetically modified crops and pesticide contaminated vegetables poses an equal health hazard. Vegetables and fruits can be contaminated by infection causing listerium

Mullins' Doctrine of Sin Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words - 1

Mullins' Doctrine of Sin - Research Paper Example This research will begin with the statement that Edgar Young Mullins (1860-1928) has been described as one of the most important theologians and "statesmen" in Southern Baptist life., Although important Baptist leaders such as B. H. Carroll, Lee Scarborough, and George W. Truett were contemporaries of Mullins, R. Albert Mohler claimed that Mullins’s influence as a denominational leader and theologian was more widespread. He served as president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in addition to his teaching systematic theology for almost thirty years. Fisher Humphreys identified three theological issues that Mullins faced during his career: the tradition of staunch Calvinism held by Mullins's predecessors at Southern Seminary, the Landmark Baptist interpretation of Baptist history, and the Fundamentalist-Modernist controversy. Mullins wrote numerous articles and books on a variety of subjects. In his first work, The Axioms of Religion, Mullins alluded to the doctrine o f original sin in his discussion concerning the inappropriateness of infant baptism. However, his argument against infant baptism did not consist of a denial of original sin or even an interpretation of it. He insisted that baptism required conscious obedience to Christ and denied the principle of vicarious faith. The only works in which Mullins stated his position on original sin were Baptist Beliefs and The Christian Religion in Its Doctrinal Expression. Because of the brevity of Baptist Beliefs, Mullins's description of the "fall of man" was only an outline of his position, In The Christian Religion in Its Doctrinal Expression, Mullins did not provide a systematic presentation of the doctrine of original sin. However, he discussed the important details of the doctrine of original sin in his discussion of providence, in the chapter on the doctrine of sin, and more thoroughly in his description of Paul's doctrine of sin, Components of Mullins's doctrine of original sin are distribu ted throughout this work. This paper will analyze how well Mullins substantiated his doctrine of original sin. Analysis of Mullins's Doctrine of Original Sin In order to analyze Mullins’s doctrine of original sin, this paper will provide a summary of Mullin’s overall argument. The summary will be followed by a critique of the premises upon which the overall argument is built. Summary of Mullins’s Argument Although Mullins did not explicitly define his doctrine of original sin, the components of the doctrine are found within his systematic theology in various places. However, the central claim of his argument is apparent. He contended that although persons inherit a tendency to sin from Adam, condemnation is incurred only through personal acts of rebellion against God. The overall flow of his argument is as follows: All persons are biologically connected to Adam. Thus, a tendency toward sinful behavior is transmitted through the hereditary connection. However, persons are not condemned because of their tendency toward sinful behavior because the death of Christ removed the condemnation accompanying the tendency to sin. Therefore, persons are condemned only on the basis of their personal rebellion against God. Three claims are central to Mullins's overall argument, his assertion that the tendency to sin is transmitted from Adam to his progeny, that persons can be condemned for their tendency to sin, and that Christ's death removed the condemnation resulting from this tendency. This paper will analyze how effectively Mullins substantiated these claims. The Source of the Tendency toward Sinful Behavior Mullins described Adam before the fall as free, moral, and inclined toward righteousness. However, after the fall, humanity is described as depraved, sinful, and inclined toward sin. The fact that Mullins asserted that a hereditary connection exists between Adam and his progeny and that this connection results in a transmission of sinful tendencies, necessitates an explanation of how

Knowledge Management - the Knowledge Creating Company Essay

Knowledge Management - the Knowledge Creating Company - Essay Example Another important element of the Japanese perspective on knowledge is how an organization is treated as a living organism. It is not merely a separate legal entity or merely a machine for production wherein people are divided into parts that play specific roles but considered as sentient due to the collective sense of identity and fundamental purpose. According to Nonaka, this makes the area of research, product development, marketing and planning not exclusively the domain of research and development or marketing departments. Rather, each employee contributes something and is a working and functional knowledge worker. The above points were supported by several principles and Nonaka attempted to be as comprehensive as possible, outlining many very important ones. For instance, he cited the idea that innovation would always come from an individual – a manager who has the skill to keep up with the fickleness of the market, a researcher who has the knowledge to develop effective strategies or a cleaner who may have a brilliant idea about effective processes based on his work experiences. So each employee in an organization regardless of his or her position is considered a source of excellent ideas.

State-building In Developing Countries Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

State-building In Developing Countries - Essay Example This report stresses that during the emergence of Europe, the most dominant powers were Germany and the United Kingdom and later America and the USSR. These nations through the exercise of their military and economic power had significant implications on state building in Europe. For instance, Germany was responsible for political and human turmoil witnessed in Poland during the start of the twentieth century. Germany onslaught on Polish territory resulted in the death of thousand of Polish citizens. This result in slow development of Poland, which in the past has been a recipient of massive amounts of aid from America. This paper makes a conclusion that Europe’s past provides an insightful point of reference upon which one can undertake comparisons. There are several similarities in state building in Europe but also huge disparities between modern day third world nations. A common characteristic in the third world nations is democratic institutions, which lack legitimacy, which is in stack contracts to Europe’s well-entrenched democratic institutions of governance such as the legislature, and judiciary that the citizenry believe in. Clearly, there are obvious disparities between state building in Europe and the third world nations. Violence is common phenomena employed as tool to cause a revolution or enable the state to consolidate power and create order forcefully. Tilly and Cohen’s radical views with regard to the existence of the state and Gerschenkron’s insight into economic history provide insightful perspectives on state building.

E-marketing and ICT in private hospitals in the United Kingdom Dissertation

E-marketing and ICT in private hospitals in the United Kingdom - Dissertation Example This research is an exploratory study on the capabilities of ICT by focusing on private hospitals of the UK. Large numbers of consumers are using the internet to extract health-related information. However, it is not known to what extent they effectively use the e-marketing platform of the private hospitals. Thus, with the aim to generate an in-depth view about the role of ICT in the private hospitals of UK, four objectives and two hypotheses were stated in Chapter I. After extensive literature review the theoretical framework was formed. This was a mix of qualitative and quantitative study with both primary and secondary data collection. Secondary data was collected through journals and websites and primary data was collected through survey questionnaires. Both the in-patients and the hospital staff were given the questionnaire. The study focused on one single hospital – The BMI Clementine Churchill Hospital. All the objectives of the study have been met. The first objective was to evaluate the current trends that accelerate the growth of using ICT in private hospitals. Proliferation of the internet technology and ICT, changes in consumer demand, the literacy levels of the consumers, and increase in consumer demand for health care, in addition to intense competition in the health care sector have led to acceleration in the growth of using ICT in private hospitals in the UK. ... Through the website the hospitals generate a large amount of consumer data which can be effectively used for enhancing their marketing efforts. No such evidence has been available through the study. Social media marketing too is not being used by private hospitals to understand consumer needs and wants. The third objective was to investigate the limitations of realising ICT in private hospitals. Their activities are limited to sending emails or offering online bookings. There is nothing to keep the visitors engaged once they visit the website. At the moment the consumer acceptance appears to be limited. Acceptance of technology is an attitudinal change that has to first come in the consumers. Thus, the onus for realising ICT in private hospitals rests with the hospitals as well as with the consumers. The fourth objective was to analyse critical issues surrounding the use of E-marketing in private hospitals. The first and foremost concern is the vast amount of medical information avai lable on the internet which can be misleading. Making online payments is another critical issue that impacts the acceptance of e-marketing. An e-platform can allow anyone to practice as a physician and this can be disastrous for the society. The privacy policies are yet to be addressed by the hospitals. Another critical issue is the concept of social media marketing. While it can help the hospitals to recognize consumer demands and needs it can also adversely impact hospital reputation. Since there is no control over the data posted and stored on the social media platforms, this could impact the reputation of the hospitals. The study concludes

Knowledge Management - the Knowledge Creating Company Essay

Knowledge Management - the Knowledge Creating Company - Essay Example Another important element of the Japanese perspective on knowledge is how an organization is treated as a living organism. It is not merely a separate legal entity or merely a machine for production wherein people are divided into parts that play specific roles but considered as sentient due to the collective sense of identity and fundamental purpose. According to Nonaka, this makes the area of research, product development, marketing and planning not exclusively the domain of research and development or marketing departments. Rather, each employee contributes something and is a working and functional knowledge worker. The above points were supported by several principles and Nonaka attempted to be as comprehensive as possible, outlining many very important ones. For instance, he cited the idea that innovation would always come from an individual – a manager who has the skill to keep up with the fickleness of the market, a researcher who has the knowledge to develop effective strategies or a cleaner who may have a brilliant idea about effective processes based on his work experiences. So each employee in an organization regardless of his or her position is considered a source of excellent ideas.

E-marketing and ICT in private hospitals in the United Kingdom Dissertation

E-marketing and ICT in private hospitals in the United Kingdom - Dissertation Example This research is an exploratory study on the capabilities of ICT by focusing on private hospitals of the UK. Large numbers of consumers are using the internet to extract health-related information. However, it is not known to what extent they effectively use the e-marketing platform of the private hospitals. Thus, with the aim to generate an in-depth view about the role of ICT in the private hospitals of UK, four objectives and two hypotheses were stated in Chapter I. After extensive literature review the theoretical framework was formed. This was a mix of qualitative and quantitative study with both primary and secondary data collection. Secondary data was collected through journals and websites and primary data was collected through survey questionnaires. Both the in-patients and the hospital staff were given the questionnaire. The study focused on one single hospital – The BMI Clementine Churchill Hospital. All the objectives of the study have been met. The first objective was to evaluate the current trends that accelerate the growth of using ICT in private hospitals. Proliferation of the internet technology and ICT, changes in consumer demand, the literacy levels of the consumers, and increase in consumer demand for health care, in addition to intense competition in the health care sector have led to acceleration in the growth of using ICT in private hospitals in the UK. ... Through the website the hospitals generate a large amount of consumer data which can be effectively used for enhancing their marketing efforts. No such evidence has been available through the study. Social media marketing too is not being used by private hospitals to understand consumer needs and wants. The third objective was to investigate the limitations of realising ICT in private hospitals. Their activities are limited to sending emails or offering online bookings. There is nothing to keep the visitors engaged once they visit the website. At the moment the consumer acceptance appears to be limited. Acceptance of technology is an attitudinal change that has to first come in the consumers. Thus, the onus for realising ICT in private hospitals rests with the hospitals as well as with the consumers. The fourth objective was to analyse critical issues surrounding the use of E-marketing in private hospitals. The first and foremost concern is the vast amount of medical information avai lable on the internet which can be misleading. Making online payments is another critical issue that impacts the acceptance of e-marketing. An e-platform can allow anyone to practice as a physician and this can be disastrous for the society. The privacy policies are yet to be addressed by the hospitals. Another critical issue is the concept of social media marketing. While it can help the hospitals to recognize consumer demands and needs it can also adversely impact hospital reputation. Since there is no control over the data posted and stored on the social media platforms, this could impact the reputation of the hospitals. The study concludes

George and Lennie Comparison Essay Example for Free

George and Lennie Comparison Essay George and Lennie, two extraordinary characters in Of Mice and Men, Similar yet very different. Both Lennie and George rely on their friendship to survive. Lennie depends on his friendship with George to make the correct desisions. George relies on the friendship he has with Lennie in order to plan for the future. While Lennie depends on George, in some ways George depends on Lennie. For example, despite Georges impatience and annoyance with Lennie, and his remarks about how easy his life would be without him, George would lead a much harder life. George always explains to Lennie what is correct and incorrect and makes sure that Lennie behaves. Finally, in order for George to have a future in mind, George needs Lennie. George and Lenny both shared the same type of hard work, and both of them lacked friendship in their lives. Both George and Lenny want something more in life they are both dreamers. Their similarities lay below the surface where they appear different. George is a small, quick man with well-defined features. A migrant ranch worker, George dreamt of one day saving enough money to buy his own place and be his own boss, living off of the land. The hindrance to his objective is his mentally handicapped companion, Lennie, with whom he has traveled and worked since Lennies Aunt Clara, whom George knew, died. The majority of Georges energy is devoted to looking after Lennie, whose blunders prevent George from working toward his dream, or even living the life of a normal rancher. Thus, Georges conflict arises in Lennie, to whom he has the ties of long- time companionship that he so often yearns to break in order to live the life of which he dreams. This tension strains George into demonstrating various emotions, ranging from anger to patience to sadness to pride and to hope. Georges companion, the source of the novels conflict. Lennie, enormous, ungainly, and mentally slow, is Georges polar opposite both mentally and physically. Lennies ignorance and innocence and helplessness, his childish actions, such as his desire to pet soft things, contrast his physical bulk, making him likeable to readers. Although devoid of cruel intentions, Lennies stupidity and carelessness cause him to unwittingly harm animals and people, which creates trouble for both him and George. Lennie is tirelessly devoted to George and delights in hearing him tell of the dream of having a farm, but he does not desire the dream of the American worker in the same way that George does. His understanding of Georges dream is more childish and he grows excited at the possibility of tending the future rabbits, most likely because it will afford him a chance to pet their soft hides as much as he wishes. Nevertheless, a dream is a dream, different for everyone, and George and Lennie share the similar attribute of desiring what they havent got. Lennie, however, is helpless to attain his dream, and remains a static character throughout, relying on George to fuel is hope and save him from trouble

Animal Rights For Farm Animals Sociology Essay

Animal Rights For Farm Animals Sociology Essay The paucity of legal scholarship and teaching in the area of animals and the law is puzzling, particularly given the general interest in, and intense debate about, the treatment of animals by humans over the last 30 years. The lack of interest in Australia is ironic, as it was the work of the Australian philosopher Peter Singer, in the highly influential book Animal Liberation, which can be said to have reinvigorated much of the modern debate about the status of animals.  [1]  By contrast with the Australian uninterest, countries such as Sweden, the United Kingdom, Finland, Switzerland and the Netherlands have moved to ban the cruel practice of keeping pregnant sows in sow stalls, Australias most recent Model Pig Code provided for a minor increase in stall size and a generous 10 year phase in period for a 6 week limit on the use of sow stalls. Moreover, the deplorable practice of keeping hens in battery cages continues to be legal in all Australian jurisdictions while the EU has banned the use of all battery cages by January 2012. Further to this, the United States legal academy has been actively exploring legal issues relating to animals for a number of years. The Lewis and Clark Law School, in Portland, Oregon, has established the National Center for Animal Law and publishes an annual journal, Animal Law.  [2]  Approximately 40 law schools in the United States offer courses on animals and the law.  [3]  The legal profession in the United States has been no less active. A large number of State Bar Associations have established animal law sections or committees. Activist attorneys established the independent Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF) in 1981. The ALDF not only provides free legal advice and assistance to prosecutors in cruelty cases, but also maintains a national database of cruelty cases, and provides support for lawsuits that test the boundaries of animal law.  [4]  Certainly, Australias poor animal welfare standards in comparison are a fundamental flaw of Australian animal protection laws. Nevertheless, even if the State and Territory Governments decide to implement ambitious welfare standards, as the legislation stands, these standards would go substantially unenforced. As such, this essay attempts to explore the current legal system governing our animals and in the process it will bring to light the deficiencies that currently exist. The focus of which will be on the treatment of factory farmed animals and how Australia continues to lag behind the rest of the world in developing a legal system that effectively shuts out animal cruelty. The notion of animal law is one that is highly complex yet ironically extremely underdeveloped. This in turn has led to mass confusion about the treatment of animals by various bodies. According to voiceless, over the last 30 years, there has been a dramatic increase in our understanding of animal intelligence and behaviour and a broad acceptance that animals are sentient beings that have a right to live free of suffering. This has led to the recognition that the existing legal system has failed to provide animals with access to justice.  Ã‚  To address this failure, two streams of law have been developed that aim to use legal mechanisms to improve the lives of animals.  [5]   1. Animal welfare laws may be defined as those laws that seek to promote the interests of animals, within a legal framework that characterises them as property. In essence, animal welfare law sanctions exploitation of animals but seeks to define acceptable limits to that exploitation by prohibiting unnecessary pain and suffering.  [6]   Some examples of activities considered necessary under Australias current animal welfare laws include:  [7]   Confining millions of pigs, chickens and other farm animals in concrete and steel sheds (modern factory farms) with no access to the outdoors, little to no access to bedding material and  little to no meaningful contact with their young; Denying anaesthetic during painful procedures such as tail docking, castration and teeth clipping; and Using a range of methods from baits and traps to guns and bows and arrows (in some states) to kill millions of wild animals defined as feral or game every year. It is under this area of law that Australia is clearly lacking in its commitment to the protection of animal welfare. Ultimately, such necessary activities are permitted on the basis of efficiency and economics. This is further reinforced by Francione who argues that most animal welfare legislation is based on an understanding of animals as commodities (evidenced by the significant exemptions and qualifications typical of such laws, including the use of animals for food and for scientific research).  [8]  However, the imposition of cruelty for economic reasons alone is unjustified and essentially this needs to be reformed. For Singer, a utilitarian, the qualified protection provided by animal welfare legislation reflects a failure to give equal consideration to the interests of animals. In turn, this failure reflects speciesism an irrational, discriminatory and morally unjustifiable preference for the interests of humans over animals.  [9]   Public consideration of the issue of cruelty to animals tends to focus on the treatment of companion animals and animals used in research. Wolfson and Sullivan argue that this focus also underpins law-making and legal scholarship.  [10]  Yet, they point out, it is farmed animals that account for almost all animals killed by humans (in the order of 98 in every 100 killed).  [11]  This is once again a clear failure in the development of an effective body of law. The protection of animal welfare and rights is clearly a mirage of hope. This is primarily based on the notion that anti-cruelty legislation has been called upon because of the impact that humans are having on farmed animals, yet our legal bodies continue to ignore such blatant actions and focus on an area of law that appeases society without actually effectively addressing the issue at hand. Ultimately, as will be discussed later, this creates a false sense of security amongst humans that our governments are effectivel y targeting animal welfare rights. In the United States these animals are invisible to the law. At federal level, farmed animals are exempted from anti-cruelty legislation.  [12]  States are also increasingly incorporating customary farming exemptions. If industry participants can establish that particular treatment of a type of animal is commonplace and accepted industry practice, no criminal liability can arise based on that treatment, regardless of how cruel the treatment might actually be. The end result is a profit-driven industry, with a proven record of sustained infliction of cruelty on animals, which is largely self-regulated on issues of animal welfare.  [13]  Further to this, legislation in Australia exempts farming from cruelty offences, and although most jurisdictions have adopted codes of conduct for the treatment of farmed animals, these are not always compulsory, and are not subject to wide public scrutiny. Thus, the issue of profit making industries again go es to the core of animal welfare rights. The failure to understand animal welfare rights over economic progression will inevitably ensure that this remains a perpetual problem. Until society puts animal welfare ahead of profits then Australia will remain in a contained cyclical downfall with respect to the protection of animals. It is at this point where the implementation of animal rights law may help to aid the development of animal protection in the future. 2. Animal rights law may be defined as an area of law which seeks to question animals well-entrenched status as property, with a view to securing fundamental rights for (at least some) animals.  [14]  The quest for animal rights is not a pursuit for the same rights that humans should have. Essentially, animal rights lawyers argue that animals should not be treated by the law as mere things. This area of the law is based on the assumption that unless animals have rights, they will continue to be treated by society as resources to satisfy human wants and needs.  [15]   Thus it is the development of this area of law that is essential to the proper development of animal welfare laws. The development of these two areas ultimately complements one another with the hope of eradicating the issues that arise under the first type of legal system. That is, the protection of animals from unnecessary pain and suffering only. Singer may regard animal welfare legislation as a positive development, but would argue that to be effective such legislation needs to consider the interests of animals and humans equally. It is here where animal rights law begins to reflect such an ideological stance, and as already discussed, this is a major step in the development of an effective body of law that deals with animals and humans. Whilst the need for legal advocates is an urgent one, animal law, as already discussed is a relatively new body of law that is still in its infant stages of development. In the United States, animal law has been developing at an increasing rate over the last thirty years. However in Australia, there are still only a handful of advocates (committees, universities and organisations) actively debating these issues. A 2006 survey conducted in connection with the Federal Governments Australian Animal Welfare Strategy found that participants had a shallow understanding of animal welfare issues and that there appeared to be assumptions by the general public about animal welfare and the existence and enforcement of legislation to protect animals from mistreatment.  [16]  Thus, this clear lack of transparency and education with respect to the law inevitably inhibits the ability of animal law to grow as a serious body of law. In recent years, increased scrutiny and criticism of intensive factory farms have changed the way that animal industries market their products. No more hiding beneath a veil of secrecy hoping that issues such as sow stalls, battery cages and meat chicken growing and processing wont be discussed and debated. The social justice movement of animal protection is rapidly picking up momentum and animal industries are now, more than ever, being called upon to justify or change their practices. However despite this change in perception, it is clear that Australia is still falling behind in the protection of intensively farmed animals. This can primarily be linked backed to the argument that animals can never gain adequate protection under the law without a fundamental reappraisal of their legal status as property. For example, according to the American lawyer Gary Francione, because their interests are evaluated against this status as property, the outcome is almost certain: people win and a nimals lose.  [17]  He takes the view that, although an animal treatment by its owner may ostensibly be limited by anticruelty laws, property rights are paramount in determining the ambit of protection accorded to animals by law.  [18]  If we say that an animal is property, he declares, we mean that the animal is to be treated under the law primarily as a means to human ends, and not as an end in herself.  [19]  Thus, to expand legal protection and remedy available to factory farmed animals, a uniform and settled approach on standing must be established upon the principle that animals are not merely a means to human ends but have by virtue of themselves, basic moral rights.  [20]  Ultimately, the treatment of animals as property inhibits the ability of the law to protect their rights as it would be extremely unlikely that standing can be established. As Cassuto argues, animals lack legal protections because they are commodified property whose worth emanates from thei r market value.  [21]  In other words, systematic abuse arises is sanctioned in the discourse of property because such animals are not considered as individual, sentient beings but a mere commodity.  [22]  Granting standing to a plaintiff to sue to enforce an animal welfare statue therefore can serve to interfere in another individuals property right. The conflict of interest that arises is therefore an inherent problem within this body of law. The continuation of animals being associated as mere commodities will essentially inhibit the development of animal rights and ultimately will ensure Australia remains behind the rest of the world. The notion that factory farmed animals are mere commodities with no measurable rights is made apparent especially in our NSW legislation. The legislative framework governing the lives of animals on factory farms is indicative of the dichotomy drawn between farm animals on the one hand and companion animals or endangered species on the other. As already pointed out by Wolfson, public consideration of the issue of cruelty to animals tends to focus on the treatment of companion animals and animals used in research. This is made no more apparent than in our legislation. Firstly, NSW implemented the Companion Animals Act 1998 (NSW).  [23]  The Companion Animals Act covers the responsibilities and rights of the owners of companion animals, such as cats and dogs. The aim of the legislation is to protect the rights of animals and their owners in balance with the rights and needs of others in the community. Thus, where NSW attempts to convey to the public that it is serious about animal r ights, it appears that this is only with respect to companion animals. It is an unfortunate occurrence as it has created a sense of security amongst the public that our state is serious about animal protection, yet the truth of the matter is that we are neglecting the primary group of animals that are in need the most. In NSW, the key piece of legislation is the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1979 (POCTAA).  [24]  One would assume that this may provide some protection to farmed animals. However, this is clearly not the case as Peter Sankoff suggests An examination of POCTAA as a stand-alone document further supports the suggestion that the animals best protected by NSW animal welfare law are animals the community has the most immediate and intimate relationship with.  [25]  Provisions in the Act establish stringent definitions of cruelty contained in sections 4(2) and 5 in which the following is an act of cruelty whereby an animal is unreasonably, unnecessarily or unju stifiably beaten, kicked, killed, wounded, pinioned, mutilated, maimed, abused, tormented, tortured, terrified or infuriated, over-loaded, over-worked, over-driven, over-ridden or over-used, exposed to excessive heat or excessive cold, or inflicted with pain. In section 4 of the POCTA Act, animals used for the production of food and industry are defined as stock animals comprising cattle, horses, sheep, goats, deer, pigs, and poultry. By virtue of this definition they are exempt from numerous acts that would come under the definition of cruelty if these acts were committed against an animal not defined as a stock animal.  [26]  Such exemptions are facilitated by the establishment of a legal defense to an alleged cruel practice through section 24 of the POCTA Act whereby a person is not guilty of the offence if the court is satisfied that the act or omission in respect of which the proceedings are being taken was done to a stock animal in the course of various industry practices.   [27]  Such practices sustaining the defense include ear tagging or branding and all acts if an animal is less than two to six months of age depending on the species of animals. Stock animals are also exempted from section 9 of the POCTA Act which stipulates that confined animals are to be exercised. Under 34A the POCTA Act, Industry codes of Practice can be adopted as guidelines, relating to the welfare of farm animals meaning that it is the Industries themselves regulating animal welfare in factory farms. This essentially creates a clear conflict of interest because rather than establish independent bodies or legislative frameworks, removed from subjective bias such as monetary concerns it appears that the government is content with self regulation that is clearly ineffective. Further to this, an examination of the other regulatory instruments that work alongside POCTAA further support the suggestion that being a high visibility animal is legislatively beneficial. Exhibited a nimals, the highest visibility animals, are granted the full range of protections available under POCTAA, and then they have their own piece of additional legislation in the form of the Exhibited Animals Protection Act 1986 (NSW).  [28]  The protections available to animals in circuses, zoos, and those used in theatre and film, are strong and comprehensive. The reason EAPA was created was due to the public outcry over the poor conditions being provided for animals exhibited in some circuses and fauna parks.  [29]  This demonstrates how important visibility is to good legal protections, and essentially this highlights the chronic issue plaguing farmed animals as they are completely removed from the spotlight. Thus it is clear this is an extremely underdeveloped area of law, as Wolfson identifies, it is farmed animals that account for almost all animals killed by humans (in the order of 98 in every 100 killed).  [30]  Thus, how can Australia possibly consider itself at the forefront of animal welfare rights, when the core group of animals remains unprotected by any form of solid legislation? Essentially, Australia is still lagging behind significantly and this will be further highlighted by a comparative analysis below of the developments taking place in the United States and Europe. The underdevelopment of our legal system with respect to animals is not confined to NSW only. If one were to take an analytical view of our Victorian legislation for instance, the public would indeed see that this is a nationwide issue. Section 6(1) of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1986 Victoria, and its state and territory equivalents, exclude production animals (the vast majority of animals in Australia) from the legislations protection. If production industries follow a code of practice for their particular animal, they are exempted from prosecution for cruelty, despite the fact the codes are barely enforced, or allow very cruel practices. However, as discussed above, such codes of practice are clearly a form of appeasement rather than a serious attempt at protecting our animals. As a result, millions of factory-farmed animals daily endure conditions that would be illegal if they involved a companion animal such as a cat or dog. As Katrina Sharman, corporate counsel for animal advocacy group Voiceless says: Most never see the light of day, feel the earth beneath their feet, walk freely, stretch their wings or limbs, forage for food or engage in normal socialisation.  [31]  Even the limited legislative protection that Australia offers animals is inadequately enforced. Under section 24 of the act, charges may be laid by a member of the police force, a public servant in the Department of Primary Industries, municipal council officer or RSPCA officer.  [32]  But in reality, all bodies are under-resourced, meaning most breaches of the law are not detected or investigated, let alone prosecuted, even if there is genuine will to do so.  [33]  And even if someone is convicted, penalties are woeful. Under section 10 of the act, for example, the maximum penalty for aggravated cruelty is 12 months jail. In this regard, greater deterrence through the form of a more imposing legislative framework is crucial to ensure that industries and individuals refrain from continuing such acts. Ultimately, education has been an insufficient tool to protect our animals and from an industry perspective, unless penalties become harsher, they are going to continue to practice in a way that is focused on efficiency alone and not in a way that would be in the animals interest. According to a publication issued by the Australian Chicken Meat Federation Inc: Concern for bird welfare is backed by Government and Industry Standards which ensure birds are kept comfortable and treated humanely.  [34]  Similarly, Australian Pork Limiteds website tells us that: Australian consumers can have every confidence in the animal welfare standards applied by Australian pork producers [because] our farmers all abide by the standards as set out in the Model Code.  [35]  Despite such positive sentiments, the issue at hand here is that most farm animals fall largely outside the protective reach of animal welfare legislation. They are classified in law as property or commodities as discussed above. The Codes mirror this approach, which has drastic ramifications for the way farm animals are treated. For example, the Codes permit permanent indoor confinement of female pigs, layer hens and meat chickens in circumstances which severely limit their ability to carry out their normal behaviours. They also provide for certain Management Practices or Elective Husbandry Procedures to be performed on farm animals. The Pig Code  [36]  sanctions the docking of piglets tails, while the Poultry Code  [37]  provides for layer hens to be subjected to appropriate beak trimming. These procedures are both permitted to be carried out without pain relief, notwithstanding the fact that scientific research points to the fact that they are likely to cause acute and chronic pain.  [38]  Most animals in factory farms live a life of confinement. They spend their time crammed into cages, sheds or feedlots and they never see the sun. Take, for example, the breeding pigs (sows), numbering about 300,000.  [39]  These intelligent, emotionally complex beings spend the bulk of their reproductive lives in stalls so small they cannot turn around.  [40]  The sole purpose of their existence, as determined by us, is to produce the five million pigs slaughtered every y ear to fill the mouths of our pork, ham and bacon lovers.  [41]  This industry is so fixated on profits and meeting the demands of society that from an economic perspective no other form of treatment is feasible. Thus, it is clear that the industry has taken advantage of the laxity of the legislative framework and incorporated this into its own practice codes and industry standards. Through this, it is clear that Australia desperately needs to change to ensure that it ceases to lag behind the rest of the world and become a leader at the forefront of animal welfare. As argued, Australia is clearly lagging behind in the development of animal law, and the primary area is that of factory farmed animals. Despite Australian Pork Limited Claiming that Australian pig farmers are leading the way in making positive changes in the way pigs are raised, such claims are largely a falsity. As can be seen from the discussion above, in Australia, there are State and Territory animal welfare laws that are intended to protect animals but in reality, the fundamental interests of most farm animals, including pigs, are not protected in law. As already discussed, National Model Codes of Practice apply in addition to some animal welfare laws; however, these Codes also fail to provide true protection. To make matters worse, they are often used to justify many cruel factory farming practices. The current Model Code of Practice for the Welfare of Animals- Pigs (revised) (2006) (the Revised Code)  is no exception. Continuing on from the above discussion, some of the cru el practices it permits are: Pregnant sows may be confined for the duration of their 16 week pregnancy in individual sow stalls, measuring no more than 0.6 x 2.2m. These stalls, which have been associated with physical disorders, chronic stress and depression, are so small that female pigs cannot even turn around.  [42]   From about 2017: The maximum time for holding pregnant pigs in sow stalls will reduce to 6 weeks. This is two weeks more than the minimum standard being introduced by the European Union and New Zealand. Sow stalls are already banned  in the United Kingdom, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands and Finland. They are also banned in Florida and are being phased out in Arizona, California, Colorado, Maine, Michigan and Oregon in the United States. Two of the largest pork producers in the US and Canada also recently announced their plans to phase out sow stalls.  Ã‚  [43]   Heavily pregnant and nursing sows will be confined for up to 6 weeks of each reproductive cycle in farrowing crates, before their young are prematurely weaned. These crates, which measure 0.5 x 2.2m, are even smaller than sow stalls.  [44]   Pig producers  are not obligated to provide access to the outdoors where pigs can engage in natural behaviours such as grazing, wallowing in mud, walking around and nosing or manipulating their environment.  [45]   Painful mutilations of young piglets, including tail docking, teeth clipping and castration without pain relief, continue to be permitted.  [46]   Natural materials such as straw for sleeping and nesting, while encouraged,  are not mandatory, rendering many pigs subject to a miserable life on concrete floors.  [47]   Thus, whilst it is correct to say that the Pig Code has recently been reviewed, the upshot of that review, other than largely reinstating the existing system, was to defer phasing out sow stalls for a decade. If sow stalls are phased out in 2017 as mentioned above, then Australia will still be 14 years behind the EU which hasnt allowed new stalls to be built since 2003. Australia will also be markedly behind eight US States including, most recently, Michigan, which is scheduled to phase out sow stalls over the next decade. No Australian jurisdiction has even meaningfully debated a ban on sow stalls. Their spin on the Poultry Code appears to have overlooked the section conveniently titled hatchery management which allows approximately ten million culled or surplus hatchlings (predominately male chicks) to be disposed of by carbon dioxide gassing or quick maceration as if they are trash, which technically they are in industry terms, since they are of no economic utility.  [48]  AE CLs press release also failed to mention that conventional battery cages are scheduled to be phased out across the European Union by 2012, whereas several attempts to introduce a ban in Australia have met considerable resistance.  [49]   Further to the above, a number of European countries have taken a leadership role in the area of chicken meat

Invisible Man: Plot Summary :: Ralph Ellison, The Invisible Man

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man opens with a prologue describing the main character in time after the begining of the body of the book. In the prologue, Ellison tells of the main characters invisibility. It is not a physical invisiblity, but rther he is not recognised, and therefore persieved, by the world at large. This is coupled with the fact that he is constantly trying to be someone else, other than himself, creates for his a complete loss of identity, and he becomes a man without a soul.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The story begins with the main character being forced to partisipate in an archaic and animalistic free-for-all in order for him to be allowed to give his speach that will determine wheather he will be accepted to the 'college'. He is accepted and goes through two of his years at the college uneventfully. He is ejected from the school during his junior year when the trustee who ws in his care while visiting the school fell ill and is taken to a local bar to get some alchohol. He is given seven letter of what he suposes to be recomendation to give to people in New York. He moves to Harlem and delivers the letters. He finds out that these letters were not recomenation but rather advisments against hiring him. The seventh reciever of a letter gives him a job in a paint factory. He does not derform well there and evetually causes he own dismissal by ignoring hes work and getting knoked out by an explosion that is his fault. He joins a black power group called The Brotherhood and is sent out to spread the word of the group. He meets a man named Clfton, his first real freind, and clifon is shot by a police officer. He speaks at Clifton's funeral and the Brotherhood does not like what he says. he befriens a middle aged white woman whao flirs with him a good bit. one night while with her is is asked to come to Harlem and come a riot that is occering. Invisible Man: Plot Summary :: Ralph Ellison, The Invisible Man   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man opens with a prologue describing the main character in time after the begining of the body of the book. In the prologue, Ellison tells of the main characters invisibility. It is not a physical invisiblity, but rther he is not recognised, and therefore persieved, by the world at large. This is coupled with the fact that he is constantly trying to be someone else, other than himself, creates for his a complete loss of identity, and he becomes a man without a soul.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The story begins with the main character being forced to partisipate in an archaic and animalistic free-for-all in order for him to be allowed to give his speach that will determine wheather he will be accepted to the 'college'. He is accepted and goes through two of his years at the college uneventfully. He is ejected from the school during his junior year when the trustee who ws in his care while visiting the school fell ill and is taken to a local bar to get some alchohol. He is given seven letter of what he suposes to be recomendation to give to people in New York. He moves to Harlem and delivers the letters. He finds out that these letters were not recomenation but rather advisments against hiring him. The seventh reciever of a letter gives him a job in a paint factory. He does not derform well there and evetually causes he own dismissal by ignoring hes work and getting knoked out by an explosion that is his fault. He joins a black power group called The Brotherhood and is sent out to spread the word of the group. He meets a man named Clfton, his first real freind, and clifon is shot by a police officer. He speaks at Clifton's funeral and the Brotherhood does not like what he says. he befriens a middle aged white woman whao flirs with him a good bit. one night while with her is is asked to come to Harlem and come a riot that is occering.

multiple sclerosis :: essays research papers

Multiple Sclerosis My aunt has had Multiple Sclerosis for about 11 years now. She started showing symptoms when she was 27. I remember the day that I walked into my parent’s room to find my mom on the phone crying. I stayed to listen to the conversation and when she was off the phone she told me what was going on. All I could do at that point was remember all of the times we went on bike rides and had a lot of fun. It was a really bad feeling knowing that we would never have the chance to do any of that again. It was really hard for my uncle to handle and I am sure it still is, but when ever I go over they’re house everyone is cheerful and easy to talk to. Whenever I get the chance I talk to my aunt and she is still very intelligent and fun to hold a conversation with. So if you ever see a person with a disease, do not be afraid to talk to them for they are very wise. Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, often disabling disease that randomly attacks the central nervous system. Specific symptoms of the disease can not be predicted. The symptoms may range from tingling and numbness to paralysis and blindness. MS is a devastating disease because people live with its unpredictable physical and emotional effects for the rest of their lives. My aunt has to be feed, bathed; she cannot do anything for herself. MS is a well-known disease, but poorly understood. In the United States there are about 200 new cases diagnosed each week. MS is a common disease and not always caused by genetics. Therefore, I feel we all need to have a better understanding of this disease that has no cure yet. My aunt has been in my prayers and many other peoples for a long time. I just want to see her get rid of the nasty disease. I hope to make MS more understanding in my paper. In my paper I will explain what MS is, who gets MS, what MS has to do with the metabolism, what some of the symptoms of MS are, and some treatments for MS. Multiple sclerosis is a progressive disabling illness that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. â€Å"Under normal conditions these nerve cells are surrounded by an insulating sheath made of fatty myelin, which speeds the passage of nerve impulses.

The Media Violence Debate

THE MEDIA VIOLENCE DEBATE Introduction Television and video games are favorite ways teenagers spend their leisure hours. Parents and teens themselves have wondered about their effects because of numerous concerns raised with regards to the negative influences that these form of entertainment bring. Many of today’s children grow up with a television at home or even in their own rooms and there have been studies dedicated to the analysis of their impact of a young child growing up to adolescence. Young children are heavily influenced by television and video games, many of which are educational.While there are fun educational shows and games that benefit educational development for young children, the choice of video games and television shows are different when they grow up to be teenagers. This is when the problem begins. The negative influences of television and video games are aplenty. Flipping through the channels would surely show situations of violence, sex scenes and expl icit conversations, alcohol and drug use, cursing and verbal obscenities, bad body image reflections, and more.Visiting a games arcade would not only hurt one’s ears because of the noise of gunshots and obscene shouts from the games played, but also expose one to bloody and highly violent ways of killing people. These situations can affect teenagers differently. With some good things that can be learned from many television shows (documentaries and educational shows, for example) and video games (motor skills development), the negative effects of these forms of media outweighs the positive ones. This paper aims at discussing the effects of media particularly on the debate that has been going on with the ill-effects of media violence.Moreover, it provides a bird’s eye view and analysis on the influences of media violence especially on children. Relevant Research and Authors Featured in The Guardian on June 2001, Rushdie's â€Å"Reality TV: A Dearth of Talent and the De ath of Morality† has caught the attention of many moralists who agree on Rushdie's idea and views on the prevalence and existence of reality TV today. Rushdie has presented so many points in his essay that I fully agree on. First, reality television shows are hard to avoid. Their ratings are a proof how people patronize these kinds of shows.Look how many millions of texters would send in their votes for their favorite â€Å"American Idol. † The success of many reality shows in the 1990's made way for networks to think of more programs – the weirder, the better because people had the tendency to watch reality programs that exude the abnormal. Moreover, these reality shows that feature people who have no talent at all, such as MTV’s hit Jersey Shore, contrast to wholesome programs in the past and yes, some modern ones, that showcase celebrities with real talents or programs that are worth our precious time.Marshall McLuhan is not known by many but to those w ho are into the field of media, he is considered to be the first father and leading prophet of the electronic age. This Canadian born writer and critic wrote mostly on the topic of understanding the effects of technology as it is related to the popular culture and how this affected and influenced man and its relationship to one another and to the community as a whole.The phrase â€Å"the medium is the message† was started by McLuhan and stood to mean the form of a medium is embedded in the message itself thereby forming a correlation on how any message is being understood thus influencing change as time goes by. McLuhan (1964) asserts that â€Å"that a medium affects the society in which it plays a role not only by the content delivered over the medium, but by the characteristics of the medium itself. † Furthermore, he emphasizes that any newspaper article or television program does not have any content at all unless the people or the society reacts to them.The message s that are presented by oral, print and electronic media are still depending how it would influence the society as a whole and a person in particular. How the contents or messages come through changes the attitude of the viewers or readers. The messages that each kind of media exposes are dependent on person’s view. He compares movies and television in their manner of viewing and content saying that the visual presentation presents different types of influences. Media as a vessel of influential messages is an essential point to consider to every person who is into the broadcast and print industry.Video Games Violence Video games are a lucrative business anywhere in the world today, claiming US$ 10 billion in sales in the United States alone in one year. However, with this increasing sales come serious concerns about their effects on players, especially teenagers. Researches have been conducted to show the effects of video games on teenagers. Results prove that there is indeed a high possibility and likelihood of aggressive and violent behaviors to be manifested in some adolescents who frequently play violent video games.With these findings, public policy options for limiting distribution of these kind of games are being created; however, the creation and spread of more video games seem too many too stop. In 2006, the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) reported their findings on studies conducted on teenagers who play violent games. These young adolescents show long-lasting effects of abnormal brain functions which include intense emotional arousals and a decrease in their concentration, control, and focus. Television ViolenceAs a child becomes a teenager, his/her hours in front of the television lessens because socialization outdoors, demands of schoolwork, and the lure of other media forms (music, video games, computers, and the Internet) would take a huge percentage of idle time. Watching television is considered to be a relaxing activity wh ich needs less concentration. Rehnstrand (2005) writes that teenagers tend to watch television when they have nothing to do. Yet, even if time spent watching television lessens during these years, parents still have to know what their children are watchingTelevision in moderation is not bad at all. In fact, pre-schoolers can start learning through educational shows, grade school children can learn from nature shows, and adults can be informed with current news. Television can be a source of entertainment as well. However, with the good things, disadvantages cannot be negated. Studies show that teenagers who spend more than four hours daily in front of the television become overweight. They become either more aggressive or become too fearful. Moreover, teenagers develop gender stereotyping and vices from many shows.Direct Effects of Media Violence Researches and studies by professionals in the field of health and psychology have revealed that exposure to media portrayals of violence increases aggressive behavior not only in children but adolescents and adults as well. Reports by mental health institutes state that television, movie, music, the Internet, videogames and printed materials contribute to aggressive behaviors of individuals who are exposed to them. The violence depicted in them is considered risk factors to the developing child, adolescents and to the stability of their families.Individuals who are exposed to media violence often see the world as a sinister place as depicted by television programs. Even cartoon programs for kids are found to contain violence indirectly through their dialogues and actions. Kamalipour et al (2001) stated that with the advent of videocassette sales and rentals, pay-per-view TV, cable TV, videogames, and online interactive media, many more children and adolescents have greater access to media with violent content than had ever been available in previous decades.These depictions make young viewers numb to the ill-effects of violence, aggression, and develop in them fear. Recommendations of Filter Models for Television and Video Games Filtering is a way for parents or others who object to violence in mass media to control what is being viewed and played in their homes. However, it is also categorized by some as censorship. Censorship is an essential and expected element of how people interact instead of cultivating a negative and separate interruption in the regular flow of communication.The major problem centers on where to identify between what is acceptable and which is not, or who is approved and on what criteria to follow. Technology has come up with many types of filtering models, all with one purpose: to opt out parts of a movie or TV program or video game that is not positive for children and teenagers especially. V-chip is used for television receivers that block programs and intended for parents' use for their children . Another is ClearPlay which provides families the choice to watch movie s with less graphic violence, nudity, explicit sex, and profanity.Parental controls and guidance are still deemed to be the best models in filtering violence and other undesirable parts of media. Self-control and discipline are also considered to be essential values that one should have to be able to practice responsibility over the violence depicted different ways. Stimulating or â€Å"Cue† Theories Tate and McConnell (2001) mention about the cue theory, which stated that when angry people are exposed to television or games violence,  those portrayals signal to them to behave aggressively.The elements in the portrayal (guns, particular kinds of characters, etc. ) serve as cues. When these cues are later encountered in real life, viewers are reminded of the  violence, and this reminder increases the likelihood that they will behave aggressively. Viewers who identify with the aggressor in the media  will be more likely to aggress in real life when presented with a simila r situation to that of the media aggressor. And when  the media portray violence as having successful outcome, viewers are more likely to be cued to try aggression as a strategy in real life.Catharsis Hypothesis This hypothesis states that â€Å"If you buy a punching bag, or release your aggression by playing Quake, or by screaming, then you will be less violent and aggressive in day-to-day life, having released your aggression. † According to Greenfield (1984), â€Å"many professionals on this field begged to disagree to this as there are other hypotheses that negate  its formation. However, research testing this catharsis hypothesis found that children who are subjected to media violence showed more overt aggression that analysts blame on lowered inhibitions.More researches show that most deadly effect of media violence is making people numb to the real violence in life. Cultivation Hypothesis The cultivation hypothesis was an approach developed by Professor George Ger bner who used ‘Cultural Indicators' to study whether and how watching television or playing video games may influence viewers' ideas of what the everyday world is like. Theorists assert that television and video games has long term effects  that are  indirect but significant. Gerbner further argues in his theory that television is responsible for shaping viewer's concepts and ideas of social reality.In addition, this theory proposes that mass media is a vital socializing agent that make television watchers believe in the version of reality that it exhibits. Observational Learning This particular theory asserts study findings that exposure to media violence through television, the Internet, and video games greatly influence teenagers’ aggressive behavior. Young children tend to imitate and follow what they see and hear and this theory becomes accurate in their limitations concerning media violence. In addition, it proposes that media violence provides children ideas and views of a world that is really bad and hostile in reality.Considering gender issues when talking about media violence is a serious task that many media watchers are identifying. However, there are also issues that media violence that depicts women has just the same effects of media violence as a whole. Feminists view this differently since they adhere to the fact that there is a grave impact of the degree of media violence if it consists of women issues. Media Influence Media is known to be one source of a steady hindrance in the communication among families, individuals, and society in general.It has played a significant role in shaping and portraying opinions and viewpoints of the public, forming a bond between the nations to the people while reproducing the total image of society. Criticisms as early as the middle of the 20th century suggested that media was able to lessen and restrict a person’s capacity to think and act independently. Occasionally, this is because o f the influence suggestive of the many telescreens and printed writings. The media has indeed a very clear social and cultural effect upon society.This is can be explained upon their capacity to span and touch a huge audience with a strong and influential message. Marshall McLuhan (1964) says â€Å"the medium is the message† as a tool of expounding how the distribution of a message can almost always be more vital than the content of the message itself. It is by the convincing power of media like television, radio, and print that messages span their target audiences. Television and radio broadcasting, for example, have a huge volume of control over what the public watches and hears and the frequency they are viewed.This is an important aspect of traditional media that is challenged by changing the way the audience participates. The Internet today also has made a space for more mixture of opinions in the political, social, and cultural realms and an increased level of participa tion as well. Media Violence in Reality TV The reinvention of reality TV into a more horrible genre is proven by how such sports documentaries are programmed. Sometimes, some programs get too out of bound when the life of participants is being put out for the sake of fun.And it is gruesome how these participants are willing to risk their lives for the money at stake and maybe a shot at stardom, if lucky. In the past decade, we have witnessed how television drama has turned from wholesome to violent and sexually explicit. Moreover, the comedy is becoming worse with puns obviously intended (Halloran, 1975). Along with this, reality TV has turned into a genre that many critics of media assert showcases more violence, more competition, more hurtful episodes, more vanity, and more sexuality as a version of reality.All these are offered to an audience who are willing to gobble these all up. It is a reality as well that many people enjoy reality TV shows as evidenced with the constant rati ngs that show business is doing well. The reasons behind this loyal patronage of reality shows are because people tend to identify themselves with the participants, they enjoy the competition, they are thrilled with the drama that are spiced in these shows (Earles et al, 2002). For the producing networks, it is not at all a sweat to get participants who are willing to undergo such rigid or too easy tasks.The lure of money and instant fame is too tempting to pass. Reality TV shows abound because of the pull it has on the audience share. However, many analysts agree that these kinds of shows that are being aired nowadays are getting ethically and morally questionable – compared to the reality TV series that were harmless and outright wholesome. Furthermore, reality TV shows clearly idolize and worship superficial human aspects like body and facial beauty. This becomes a very bad example for the youth who make up a big bulk of the audience share.Reports say that 3 out of 4 teena gers have reality shows as their favorite TV shows (Rushdie, 2001). Is reality television altering our values in a negative way or is just a reflection of already existing values? Definitely these shows generally impacts audiences in a negative way. In fairness for those shows who do not intend to exude negativism, they still do so. Although subtle or subconsciously, these shows are to blame for the erosion of ethics and morals especially among the young audiences who also enjoy the competition and vanity being portrayed in many of these types of programs.Parental guidance cannot seem to curtail such viewings and minors are taking a peek and sample of the â€Å"badness† involved reality shows. Yes, they entertain audiences because the plots excite the viewers. Remember that real people are writing the scripts and thinking of the plots. The production team is further made of real people. Therefore it follows that the values of the creators are shown, directly or indirectly, in their programs. Graphic Novels as an Agent of Media Violence The American comic book took shape in the late 1930s with the introduction of Superman and then Batman, Wonder Woman, Captain America and more.Arriving at the end of the Depression and ruing the first few weeks of World War II, comics provided cheap, thrilling entertainment that appealed to both the young and the soldiers (Rehnstrand, 2005). Comic books became a very influential and popular element of the entertainment world. As the medium progressed, it embraced a wide variety of genres like romance, horror, crime, science fiction, war, humor and adventure. Comic book sales soared up after World War II but suffered a setback in the mid-fifties brought about by anti-comic book hysteria.The Comic Books Authority whipped up a lot of no-noes on the plots and illustrations. The medium rebounded back in the 1960's this time with a brand new style of comic story telling. The late 1960's brought about the start of today's graphi c novels which disregards the restrictions of the Comic code? More and more content was created and marketed as graphic  novels. 1986 was a breakthrough year when two critically acclaimed bestselling books were published as graphic novels: Maus, and Watchmen. The late nineties introduced Manga, a type of graphic novel from Japan that was accepted warmly in the United States.Today, like their counterpart in prose, graphic novels cover every conceivable genre including fiction, biography, history, journalism, education, crime, horror, fantasy, romance, adventure, memoir, humor, politics, and many more. After a century of growth, the comics that once started for amusement in newspapers have matured and are beginning to enjoy a place in the literary world. Conclusion Television and video games can be good sources of education and entertainment for anybody at any age or gender. However, teenage is considered to be a crucial age when an individual is quite adamant to become an adult or remain a child.The influence of media on teenagers has resulted on many emotional, social, and psychological dilemmas. Studies and research have been dedicated to analyzing the effect of media, particularly television and video games on teenagers. According to Rhenstrand (2005), playing video games is known to heighten the aggressive thoughts, emotions, and behaviors of teenagers. Video games can be more harmful than violent television shows or movies since they are more interactive, requiring the player to identify with the aggressive character.Some scientific studies state that the fewer teenagers play video games or watch television, the less aggressive they are. Attention has been centered on the concern of television and video games’ portrayal of violence, vices (smoking, drugs, and alcohol), and sex. With violence, television is passing the viewing of hurting and killing while video games needs the active participation of players. It is recommended that more research wo uld be conducted on the behavioral outcomes of interactions on violence and sex in video games and the implications of passive participation of teenagers while watching television.However, there should be careful and strict guidelines that the viewing public should follow in order to ensure that their influences would be beneficial, especially for the young viewers. The influence is so great that it has made changes in the way people act and think. These media forms are here to stay, for sure. Let us just hope that it will be innovated to be used as an instrument of change for the better and not for worse. References Earles KA, R Alexander, M Johnson, J Liverpool, and M McGhee. 2002. Media influences on children and adolescents: violence and sex†. Journal of the National Medical Association. 94 (9): 797-801. 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